Boston Bruins
“The reality — I think we saw last year — is what happens when you don’t perform. And that’s the way things seem to be going.”
TD Garden rose as one as soon as Morgan Geekie’s wrist shot sailed into twine.
In the span of just 25 seconds, the Bruins erased what was a two-goal lead for the Anaheim Ducks in the third period — with tallies from Geekie and David Pastrnak knotting up a seesaw contest at 5-5 with just 5:03 left in regulation.
As the cheers rained down from the upper levels of Boston’s barn, the Bruins once again refused to roll over amid an uneven (and often frustrating) start to the season.
It took all of 30 seconds for that cacophony of jubilation to shift into stunned silence.
In what has become a regular trend through just nine games this season, Boston let go of the rope defensively after lighting the lamp.
As both Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei set their sights on Nikita Nesterenko, Troy Terry was left unchecked at Joonas Korpisalo’s doorstep.
The result? A back-breaking sixth goal for Anaheim — and an eventual sixth straight loss for the Bruins.
“This is devastating — the way we’re losing these games,” McAvoy said. “It’s just, it’s killing us. We’re fighting so hard and we just can’t stop beating ourselves. So it’s, yeah, it’s pretty defeating right now.”
“I’m embarrassed,” goalie Joonas Korpisalo added. “We should all be.”
Silver linings were expected to be drawn on heavily this season for a flawed Bruins team that — on paper — was going to be hard-pressed to generate offense.
In the weeks leading up to the start of…